Zimbabwe voter awareness campaigners arrested

AP , Associated Press

Feb. 17, 20138:45 AM ET

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A community group in Zimbabwe says a pastor and three activists were arrested for holding a voter education meeting a day after President Robert Mugabe announced March 16 as the date for a referendum on a new constitution.

The Center for Community Development said Sunday the four were campaigning for people to register as voters for the referendum and national elections later in the year. They were detained in police cells in Chegutu town, 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Harare, on unspecified charges after the Saturday meeting. Under sweeping security laws, political gatherings require police clearance.

The Zimbabwe prime minister's party has called for the security laws to be urgently repealed ahead of polling.

Another two rights and democracy groups have been raided by police in the past week.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A community group in Zimbabwe says a pastor and three activists were arrested for holding a voter education meeting a day after President Robert Mugabe announced March 16 as the date for a referendum on a new constitution.